Switch-box for electric railways.



No. 663,232. Patented Dec.'4, I900. W. KINGSLAND.

SWITCH BOX FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

(Application filed July 5, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Shear-Sheet l.

M JM' me -0Rm' Perms cm mcTo-umow vmsnmnmu o c No. 663,232 Patented Dec.4, I900. W. KINGSLAND.

SWITCH BOX FOR ELECTRIC BAILWAYS.

(Application filad Julyfi, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

wAsHmuTom n c,

NITED ST T S.

PATENT QFFICE.

WILLIAM KING SLAND, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

SWITCH-BOX FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS. V

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,232, dated December4, 1900.

Application filed July 5, 1900. $erial No. 22,534. \lNo model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM KINGSLAND, electrical engineer, of 8 BreamsBuildings, Chancery Lane, in the city of London, England, have inventedcertain new and useful Boxes for Containing Switches and ActuatingMechanism for Use in Electrical Traction, (for which I have madeapplication for a patent in Great Britain under date of December 13,1899, No. 24,791,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention refers to the combination and arrangement of partshereinafter described and claimed for use .in conjunction with arail-track and composing an improved box for containing amechanically-operated electrical switch and the mechanism connected withthe switch by which the latter is operated, the ends in view being toprovide an inner switchcontaining case which, together with the switchtherein, can readily be withdrawn from the outer box without dismountingthe mechanical apparatus in the said outer box and without it beingrequired to disconnect the electrical connection of the switch prior tothe removal of the inner case, to provide means whereby the switch-casecan be effectually rendered water-tight when in position in the saidouter box and whereby the electrical connections are made by thereplacement of the said inner case, to provide means whereby theswitch-operating shaft (which projects through the wall of the innercase) can readily be alined and connected with the shaft of the exterioroperating mechanism (which is within the outer box) or any slightdeviation from the true alinement of the two connected shafts isautomatically allowed for, and to provide means whereby the saidmechanical apparatus in the said outer box can be readily inspected andremoved.

I will describe my invention with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a transverse section of my improvedswitch-containing box, and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of same.

The outer box A, which may be formed of cast-iron, is arranged adjacentto the railtrack, so that a striker-bar carried by the vehicle canoperate the switch-actuating mechanism. Part of this box A may passunder rails, which may form a slot, one of such rails being shown markedB, while the other part of the box is outside the rails and is providedwith a cover 0 on a level with the rail-head or roadway. Inside this boxA, I place an interior casing D; which contains the electrical switchpart of the apparatus. The interior casing D is open only at its base,and when the case D is in position within the box A its lower edges restupon packing carried by the sides which form a compartment E within thelower part of the box A, the compartment being open at the top, with aflange E around same to support india-rubber or other packing G and toform a guide for the lower edges of the case D. As will be wellunderstood, instead of employing the india-rubber packing G the flange Eof the compartment E may be made of trough formation and contain aliquid seal, such as mercury, into which the lower edges of the case Dwill enter. case D is formed or provided with bracketpieces D, which arelocated above projecting lugs A on the box, and bolts F connect thebrackets D and the lugs A and form means whereby the case D is held ontothe basecompartment E and whereby the said case D can be adjusted uponits packing G. Thus when placed in the position shown the interior ofthe case D is water-tight and the said case is readily accessible andremovable through the cover 0 of the box A.

The electrical switch, which may be of any approved construction, isfitted within theinterior case D, the particular switch I have shown(marked H) being of cylindrical form and operatinginconjunction with twobrushes H H. One end of the spindle J, which carries the switch, ismounted'in a bearing formed in the interior of one side of the casing D,while the other end of the spindle J projects through the other side ofthe casing by a packed gland, such as J. The end of the spindle J on theexterior of the case D is coupled to the mechanism by which the switchis operated, as will be hereinafter described.

The electrical conductors or mains, such as K K, pass from the outsidethrough into the compartment E, which is closed by the case D, and theapertures by which the conductors enter are closed water-tight bypacking or other suitable means. These conductors terminate inupstanding parts or pillars K K which are .carried on insulators by abracket E ,formed in the interior of the compartment oluble spindle L,which is carried by bearings formed in a removable bracket L, fixed bybolts to the walls of the box A. The spindle L, which is to be operatedby tappet action, carries a lover or a tappet-wheel having severalarmssuch, for example, as that shown at Fig. 1 marked M and indicated bydotted lines at Fig. 2-the spindle L being operated through the tappetarm or wheel M by the action of the striker carried upon the car. Thearrangement of this operating mechanism, together with the arrangementof the removable case D, as described, presents advantages in that afterthe removal of the said case D from the box A, I am enabled to readilyremove the spindle L and the parts connected therewith from the outerbox A. It is of considerable importance in practice that the switch andthe operating mechanism should be most accessible for removal andrepairs, and by the arrangement described it will be seen that this endis attained according to my invention in a most effective and readymanner, the removal of the switch-case D leaving convenient space fordisconnection and removal of the operating mechanism. The

- end of the spindle L is to be connected to the end of the spindleJ,and these spindles are first brought into alinement as nearly aspossible by the adjustment of the case D; but in order to allow for anyslight deviation in such alinement I couple the ends of the spindles Land J by means of a suitable form of universal joint. A form of jointsuitable for this purpose is constructed as follows: The end of theswitch-spindle is provided with a disk J having a projecting rib J uponits outer face, there being a similar disk L and rib (shown by dottedlines) upon the end of the spindle L. Between the faces of these disks J2 L I fit an intermediate disk N, having a groove on one face to receivethe rib J upon the switch-spindle end and a groove at right angles tothe first groove in the other face of the intermediate disk N to receivethe rib upon the disk L of the operating-spindle L, and by thisconnection any slight variation in alinement will not afiect thecoworking of the two spindles K and L, whileat the same time the saidcoupling is readily detachable.

The box A is formed at A with a drainageaperture, which may be connectedto drainage-pipes to carry away the surface water entering the box A.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a switch-box for electric traction,to inclose an electric switchworked by mechanical means; the combination of an outer box, a

' removable cover to same, mechanism in the box to mechanically operatea switch, a removable case to be placed inside the box through thecover-aperture thereof, a switch contained within the case, and anoperatingspindle therefor projecting through a watertight bearing in theside of the removable case, means for rendering the case watertight,means for permitting of the placing and removal of the case to or fromthe box together with the contained switch without dismounting themechanism located in the outer box, and means for detachably connectingthe projecting end of the switch-shaft to the mechanism contained in theouter box tor mechanically operating same, as set forth.

2. In a switch-box for electric traction,to inclose an electric switchworked by mechanical means; the combination with an outer box, a spindlemounted in the box, a mechanically-operated lever on the spindle, aremovable cover to the top of the box, and a seating in the interior ofthe box; of an inner removable case adapted to be placed within the box,and held to the seating therein so as to be rendered water-tight, aswitch contained within the case, the operating-spindle thereof passingthrough the side of the said case, means for detachably connecting thesaid end of the switch-spindle to the mechanically-operated spindlewithin the box, and means for connecting the electric terminals of theswitch located within the. switch-case to the electric connectionswithin the box, as set forth.

3. Ina switch-box for electric traction to inclose an electric switchworked by mechanical means; the combination with an outer box, mechanismtherein to mechanically operate a switch-shaft, a removable cover to thebox and a seating within the box, of a case formed with an open base andcontaining an .electric switch, a switch-spindle for operating sameprojecting through a water-tight bearing in the side of the case, thesaid case being placed within the box, and means for holding the loweredges of the open base of the case upon the seating in the box to renderthe case water-tight, means for detachably connecting the switch-spindleto the operating mechanism within the outer box, and means fordetachably connecting the electric terminals of the switch within theswitch-case toelectric connections covered by the switchcase,substantially as set forth.

4. In a switch-box for electric traction,to inclose an electric switchworked by mechanical means; the combination with an outer box, aremovable cover to the box, a spindle carried on bearings within the boxand mechanical means for operating the spindle, a removable case to beplaced inside the box, a switch contained within the case, anoperating-spindle from the switch extending through the said case, meansfor effecting the electrical connection of the switch andconductor-terminals upon the insertion of the switch-case within thebox, and means for rendering' the said switch-case water-tight whenfixed in position within the box; of means for adjusting and securingthe switchcase within the box to bring the axes of the switch-spindleand the operating-spindle as nearly coincident as possible, and adetachable coupling of universal-joint character between the ends of theswitch-spindle and the operating-spindle, substantially as set forth.

5. In a switch-box for electric traction to inclose an electric switchworked by mechanical means; the combination with an outer box, aremovable cover to the box, and mechanism in the box to mechanicallyoperate a switchspindle, a case to be placed inside the box through thecover-aperture thereof, a switch contained within the case, a spindleprojecting through the case for operating the switch and a detachableconnection between the projecting switch spindle and the operatingmechanism in the outer box; of an opening in the base of theswitch-case, means for making a water-tight joint between the edges ofthe said opening and a seating in the box, switch-terminals withdownwardly-extending spring-sockets carried within the open base of theswitch-case, and electric connections in the box terminating inupstanding parts adapted to enter the spring-sockets formingswitclrterminals, carried by the switch-case when the latter is placedin position, and thereby client electrical connection, substantially asset forth.

6. Inaswitch-box for electric traction,toinclose an electric switchworked by mechanical means; the combination with an outer box, aremovable cover to the box, and a mechanically-operated shaft in the boxto work a switch-spindle, a case to be placed inside the box through theaperture, a switch contained within the case, a spindle from the switchprojecting through the case, an opening in the base of the switch-case,means for making a water-tight joint between the edges of the saidopening of the case and a seating in the outer box, and electricalconnections to the switch; of a universal-joint connection between theends of the mechanically-operated shaft in the outer box and theprojecting end of the switch-spindle, consisting of a disk on the end ofthe switch-spindle, a projecting rib on the face of the disk, a similardisk and rib on the end of the operating-shaft, and an intermediateloose disk, located between the two ribbed disks aforesaid, and having agroove upon each face, the said grooves extending at right angles toeach other, and receiving the ribs of the disks, whereby rotary motioncan be communicated from the shaft to the switch-spindle, even when notperfectly alined, and the coupling can be connected and detached by the.act of inserting or withdrawing the inner case, as set forth.

7. In a switch-box for electric traction to inclose an electric switchworked by mechanical means; the combination with an outer box, a

removable cover to the box, a case to be placed in the interior of thebox, a switch contained within the case, a spindle projecting throughthe case for operating the switch, and means for rendering the casewater-tight when inserted in the outer box; of mechanism within the box,arranged at the side of the case, to mechanically operate theswitchspindle, a detachable connection between the projectingswitch-spindle and the operating mechanism in the outer box, the saidoperating mechanism being capable of ready removal from the outer boxafter the removal of the switch-case as set forth.

WILLIAM KINGSLAND. Witnesses:

GRIFFITH BREWER, THOMAS W. Roenns.

